Apparatus for handling and storing



P. BEEN Get. 2%, 1931.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND STORING Filed May 6, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l P.BEEN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND STORING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6,1929 4 Sheet-Sheet a P. BEEN Filed May 6, 1929 APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGAND STORING NWN Get 20, 1931,

' @ch 26}, 19310 P. BEEN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND STORING Filed May 6,1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MQ mm,

Patented Oct. 20 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT orrlca PAUL BEEN, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HARNISCHIEGEB CORPORA- TION, 0FMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGAND STORING Application filed May 6-, 1929. Serial No. 380,822.

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling and storing vehiclesand is particularly designed and a-da ted for use in the storing orautomatic par 'ng of automobiles.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a storageapparatus of this character which realizes the maximum of economy in theutilization of the entire space within the garage building embodying theapparatus and which has this advantage alone with a simple andcomparatively inexpensive construction; Further, the nature of thegarage construction and of the transferring or handling means for theautomobiles is such that a minimum of time is required for the placin ofan automobile within or the removal 0 an automobile from any stall orstorage compartment of i the garage. Not only is the first cost of theapparatus unusually low but its operating costs are extremely lowwhereby the cost to the public of adequate parking facilities isrendered entirely moderate and reasonable. Further, the invention lendsitself to embodiment in a fire proof construction containing provisionfor the individual isolation and protection of each car. To sum up outstanding advantages, the system has high volumetrical efliciency, .hightransferring speeds, low first cost and low operating costs.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in transverse vertical section taken on line 1-1- ofFigure 2 and illustrating a portion of a garage building embodying thepresent invention, parts being shown in elevation for the sake ofsimplicity in illustration;

. I Figure 2 1s a fragmentary view in horizon-- tudinal Vertical sectiontaken on line 33 of Figure 1, parts being omitted and parts being shownin section for the sake of illustraion;

Figure 4 is a detail view in side elevation showing the conveyor anddolly employed; Figure 5 is a view in top plan of the parts shown inFigure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fi re 2 but omittingthe elevator and showing one set of firedoors closed and one set open;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views in section taken in the sameplane as Figure 1 and illustrating the action of the transfer device byshowing various positions thereof; Figure 10 is a detail view in topplan of one of the vehicle engagin lugs on the conveyor; Figure 11 is adetail sectional view taken on line 11 11 of Fi ure 10; Figure 12 is aragmentary detail view showing one of the releasable latches with whicheach fire door is equipped; and

Figure 13 is'a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the controlmechanism for the fire doors. h v

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generally a buildingconstruction embodying outside walls 2 and any suitable The walls 2 and3 may have any known form of. load sustaining structure incorporatedtherein and for the sake of illustration the load sustaining structureis shown as including the vertical columns 4. As illustrated in Figures1 and 2, the fire proof partitions 3 extend for the full width of thebuilding, that is, from one side wall 2 to the other, and the spacebetween each adjacent pair of partitions 3 is divided up to providevertical tiers of storage stalls or compartments 5 separated by anintervening elevator well or shaft 6. In other words, the buildingconstruction provides a plurality of storage units, each made up of twovertical tiers of storage stalls 5 spaced by the intervening elevatorwell 6. Any number of these units may be provided and as they are all ofidentical construction a single description will serve for all.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the storagestalls 5 are defined by the vertical partition walls 3 of the storageunit and by vertically spaced horizontall disposed plates 7, each plateconstituting the bottom of one storage and the top of the underlyingstorage stall. The plates 7 are supported on the load sustainingstructure of the building by means of angle brackets 8 directly fastenedin any suitable manner to the load sustaining structure and underlylngand secured to the plates 7 along each side thereof. To provide runwaysin each stall adapted to receive the wheels of the vehicle, pairs ofangle irons 9 are fastened to the plates 7 immediately above the braces8, the an 1e irons 9 extending lengthwise of the sta l and being spacedto receive properly the wheels of the automobile, as illustrated inFigure 3. The above description of the stall structure applies to all ofthe floors above or below the ground level. At the ground level thefloor 10 coacts with the partitions 3 to provide entrance-way 11 and anexit way 11' and on the floor angle irons 9 are secured to providerunways for the wheels of the vehicles in the entrance and exit ways.Suitably positioned at or adjacent the inner ends of the runways vehiclewheel engaging chocks (not shown) are provided and serve to prevent theautomobile from colliding with the inner end wall of its compartment.

A high speed elevator 15 operates in the well 6 and is designed andadapted to serve the storage stalls of both vertical tiers of itsstorage unit. The floor or platform of the elevator 15 is provided withvehicle runways 16 extending transversely thereof but spaced somewhatabove the floor. When the elevator is properly leveled with any twohorizontally alined storage stalls of the vertical tiers, the runways 16are registered or alined with the runways. In between the runways 16 ofthe elevator a transfer carrier or dolly 17 is provided and consists ofa frame 18 supported on wheels 19 and 20, the wheels 20 at least beingdriven from a reversible electric motor 21 by means of suitable gearing22. The wheels 19 and 20 run along rails 23 provided on the elevatorplatform. At both ends of each rail 23 stops 24 are provided to preventthe dolly from running off of the platform. As shown to advantage inFigure 3, the dolly 17 operates in between the runways 16. At each sideof the frame 18 of the dolly frame extensions or conveyor supportingbars 25 are provided, the bars 25 being secured to and supported uponthe frame of the doll and pro ecting beyond the ends of the dolly rame,as clearly shown in Figure 1. At the ends of the bars 25, transverseshafts 26 are rotatably mounted and each shaft 26 carries two sprocketwheel-s or pulleys 27 adjacent its ends. Over the longitudinally alinedsprocket wheels or pulleys 27, endless conveyor belts or sprocket chains28 are trained. If the elements 27 are in. the form of sprocket wheelsthen the endless conveyor members 28 are s rocket chains and on theother hand, if the e ements 27 are pulleys, then, of course, the endlessconveyor members 28 are belts. The particular construction of a conveyorthus constituted may be varied widely and yet its function in thepresent invention accomplished to advantage. For the purpose ofthepresent invention it is merely necessary to provide a conveyorsupported on the dolly and projecting beyond both ends thereof. Anysuitable means may be provided for driving the conveyor and preferablyconsists of a reversible electric motor 25 carried by the frame of thedolly and acting through worm gearing 26 to drive a shaft 26' geared asat 26 to a shaft 27 (see Figures 4 and 5) having driving elements suchas sprocket wheels 28' fixed thereto and meshed with the upper and lowerruns of the chains 28. The electric motors 20 and 25 employed fordriving the dolly and the conveyor are preferably equipped withconventional electromagnetic brakes. These brakes are widely used andneed no detail illustration here but it should be noted that they serveto hold the dolly and also the conveyor against movement except whentheir respective motors are driving the same. As is well known, suchbrakes include a drum fixed to the armature shaft of their motor andwith which a brake band or brake shoes coact. Suitable spring or weightbiased means forces the band or shoes into engagement with the drum andan electromagnet automatically energized Whenever the motor is operatedreleases the brake band or shoes.

As shown in Fi ures 1, 4 and 5, each endless conveyor memer 28 isprovided with two vehicle engaging lugs designated generally at 30 and30, the lugs 30 being spaced along the conveyor belt a distanceapproximately equal to the spacing of the shafts 26 and being ofidentical construction although reversely arranged.

The vehicle engaging lugs 30 and 30 are shown to advantage in Figures 4,10 and 11 and each has an attaching portion 31 securely fastened to theendless conveyor member on which the lug is mounted and also has avehicle engaging member 32 pivotally connected as at 33 to the attachingmember 31 and designed to engage the front or rear axle or any othersuitable part of the vehicle. A shoulder 34 is integrally formed withthe attaching member 31 and is engageable with the vehicle engagingmember 32 to limit the pivotal movement thereof in one direction, aswill be understood from Figure 11. As shown in Figure 10, springs 35 areprovided to bias the member 32 to a vertical position wherein it isengaged with the shoulder 34.

Adjacent the ends of each vehicle wheel receiving runway 16 of theelevator, adjustable pivoted stops 36 are provided and when ;form. Whenretracted, the stops 36 leave the projected into operative osition areadapt in Figure 7, the conveyor drive is reversed ed to engage thewheels the vehicle to prevent it from running off of the elevatorplatr'unways 16 unobstructed; The stops 36 are rockable abou fixetl axes36 under the con-' trol of a ban le ver 37 connected by a rod 37 to bellcranks 38, the latter being connected by rods 38' to the stop 36. Ifdesired, each stop may be independently controlled by providing aseparate control lever and a separate linkage between each control leverand ts stop.

In order to keep the transverse dimensions of the elevator down to thevery minimum, the control station for the operator is pro vided in theupper and preferably the central portion of the elevator cage and isdesignated at 40. At this control station an elevator control switch 41is provided and in addition control switches 42 and 43 are provided forcontrollingrespectively the operation of the motors 21 and 25'. The handlever 37 is also provided at the control station 40. From the controlstation the operator has a full and clear view of the stalls on bothsides of the elevator well. I

In o peration, the automobiles are driven or otherwise convenientlypositioned in the 3 runways 9 of the entrance-way 11. Obviously theautomobiles may be run into these runways 9' under their own power orthey may be. deposited therein by a conveyor or in any other suitableway. An automobile positioned in the runways 9' of the entranceway 11 istransferred to the elevator by running the dolly 17 to the left asviewedin Figure 1 as far as it may be, that is, until it engages the stops 24located at the left end (see Figure 1) of the rails 23. This positionsthe lug 30 behind the front axle of the auto- 7 mobile when theautomobile is run head in to in the runways 16. Obviously, instead offirst moving the dolly back to its central position on the elevator andthen driving the conveyor, the conveyor may be driven first and thedolly moved afterwards, or the dolly and conveyor may be simultaneouslydriven. But, with theautomobile properly positioned on the elevator, theelevator is then raised until it is leveled with the stall in which theautomobile is to be parked or stored. If the automobile is to be parkedin a stall on the left hand side of the elevator well, as viewed tionthe automobile in its stal to bring the lugs 30' into engagement withthe front axle, the dolly 17 is then driven to the left to the positionshown in Figure 7 and the conve or is driven until the lugs 30 havefully an properly positioned the automobile in the stall. The runways ofthe storage stall may be angled inwardly and downwardly slightly toprevent the automobiles from accidentally rolling out of the stalls, orany suitable releasable locking means may be provided for retaining theautomobiles in Egsition in the stalls. f an automobile is to parked inone ofthe storage stalls located on the right hand side (Figures 1, and7 to 9), it is first positioned on the elevator plat form in the mannerdescribed and as shown in Figure 8. After the elevator has been leveledwith the selected stall, the doll 17 is driven to the right as viewed inFigure Sand ,the conveyor is driven to cause the In s 30 to move to theright in Figure 8 there y propelling the automobile into the stall. Ifthis combined drive, exerted by the lugs 30 against the front axle byboth the dolly and the conveyor, is not sufficient to Iproperly posithedrive of the conveyor is continued until-the lugs 30 come intoengagement with the rear axle and exert a drive on the vehicle by virtueof such engagement. By reversing the process the automobiles may beretrieved or taken out of any stall in which they are parked and thencarried down to the ground level and transferred to one of the entranceor exit ways 11 or 11'. Thus, if an automobile is parked in one of thestalls located on the right hand side of Figure 1 the dolly 17 is movedto the right until the lugs 30 snap behind the rear axle of theautomobile. The dolly is then returned to its central position on thecarriage and the conveyor belts are driven to move the lugs 30 to theleft as viewed in Figure 1 until the automobile is properly positionedon the elevator. then lowered until it is at the ground level whereuponthe direction of drive of the conveyor belts are reversed to bring thelug 30 into engagement with the rear axle. The

dolly is then moved to the right to push the automobile partly into theexit way 11 and this transfer of the automobile to the exit way 7 11' iscompleted by continuing to drive the conveyor so as tocontinue to movethe lugs 30 to the right as viewed in Figure 1. While i the operationhas'been described as contemplating successive movements of the dollyand conveyor obviously these movements may be effected simultaneouslyand the time required for the transfer operation further reduced.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, a pair of fire doors is provided for theentrance to each stall or compartment, each fire door 50 being mountedon spring hinges 51 which The elevator is bias the doors to closedposition, wherein they completely block the entrance to their stall andisolate the stall and the car therein from fire. Latches 52 and 53 areprovided for normally holding the doors in open position wherein theyare disposed flush up against the partition walls 3 and out of the wayof the elevator. Latches 52 are utilized for temporarily securing thedoors 50 in open position. Thus,- in setting the doors open, an operatorstands on top of the elevator and successively opens the doors at eachlevel and secures each door in open position by properly positioning thelatches 52. Each latch 52 is pivoted at one end as at 52 to a partitionwall 3 and in latching position overlaps its door and engages a stop 54provided therefor in its door 50. Each latch 53 is pivotally supportedadjacent one end on a partition wall 3 as indicated at 53' and has along relatively heavy arm adapted to overlap its door to hold same openand a short relatively light arm provided with a notch 55 adaptedtoreceive a pin 55 secured to and projecting laterally from a controlrod 56. There are four control rods 56 for the fire doors of eachstorage unit, the control rods extending for the full height of theelevator well and each control rod serving to control the latches of allof the fire doors to which it is adjacent. As shown in Figure 1,

the notches 55 are on the upper edges of the short arms of the latches53 and the pins 55 engage in these notches to control the position ofthe latches. After the fire doors 50 have been temporarily secured inopen position by the latches 52, the control rods 56 are shifted to theposition shownin Figure 1, thereby swinging the latches 53 into securingengagement with the fire doors 50. The latches 52 may then be released.The shifting mechanism for the control rods 56 may comprise a bell cranklever 57 for each rod 56. Each bell crank lever is rockably supported asat 58 on a partition wall 3 and has a forked arm 57 coacting with a pin56' on its control rod to provide an operative connection between thebell crank lever and its control rod. The bell crank levers 57 adjacenteach partition wall may be interconnected by a connecting rod 60 whichis also connected by a rod 61 to a hand controlled lever 62. By movingthe hand love" 62 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, thecontrol rods 56 are pulled downwardly and the latches 53 are all swungin a clockwise direction and disengaged from the fire doors 50 therebypermitting the doors to be swung to closed position by their springhinges 51. By providing a pin and notch connection between the controlrods and the latches 53, any latch 53 may be moved to release its firedoor without disturbing the position of the other fire doors.

\Vith a garage construction of this character the entire cubicalcontents of the building are effectively utilized. The storage stallsmay he made to just properly contain the automobile in that theautomobiles are moved in and out of the stalls without any lifting ortilting, which, of course, would require extra clearance. Thepartitioning structure is of minimum dimensions in that it functionsmerely as fire proofing and as a protective closure for the automobiles.The load of the vehicles is transmitted directly to the load sustainingstructure of the building.

W'ith an elevator having high acceleration and high speed the liftingand lowering of a car to the level of any of the storage compartmentsrequires very little time and with the t 'ansf-cr means shown verylittle time is required to deposit an automobile in or taking anautomobile from any storage stall and to transfer the automobiles fromthe elevator to the entrance and exit Ways or vice versa. Theconstruction of the storage stalls not only eti'ects economy in the useof the cubical content of the building but keeps the cost ofconstruction at the very minimum, as a storage stall requires, inaddition to the outside walls and fire proofing partitions, merely theuse of a plate and a few angles and braces or brackets and rivets.

The invention claimed is:

1. An automobile storage apparatus ineluding spaced veixical tiers ofstorage stalls and an intervening elevator well, an elevator operatingin the well, a transfer carriage mounted on the elevator and movabletransversely thereof, and a conveyor mounted on the transfer carriageand projecting beyond the ends of the same and having vehicle engagingmeans.

2. An automobile storage apparatus including a building constructionhaving opposed vertical tiers of storage stalls and an interveningelevator well, an elevator operating in said well, a motor driventransfer carriage movable across the elevator, means for limiting themovement of the transfer carriage incither direction and operating toprevent the transfer carriage from moving off of the elevator and aconveyor mounted on the transfer carriage and projecting beyond the endsof the same and adapled to project into a. storage stall when thetransfer carriage is moved to either extreme position and spaced vehicleengaging means carried by the conveyor.

3. An automobile storage apparatus including a building constructionhaving opposed vertical tiers of storage stalls and an interveningelevator well, an elevator operating in said well, a motor driventransfer carriage movable across the elevator, means for limiting themovement of the transfer carriage in either direction and operating toprevent: the transfer carriage from moving off of the elevator and aconveyor mounted on the transfer carriage and projecting beyond attachedto the ,conveyor and a vehicle en- I dolly are moved in the oppositedirection.

riage is moved to either extreme'position and spaced vehicle engaginglugs carried by the conveyor, each lugincluding a member gaging memberpivoted to the attaching member and limited in its pivotal movement inone direction.

4. An automobile storage apparatus including vertical tiers of stora estalls, an elevator operating adjacent said stalls and less member ha arun movable ina direc tion lengthwise o the transfer device and vehicleengaging means carried by said endadapted to be leveled with any stall,a trans ing the transfer carriagefrom running off fer device mounted onthe elevator and mov ,of the ends of its track, an endless member ableacross the same and a conveyorm'ounted mounted on the transfer carriageand project on the transfer device and projectingbeyond ing beyond thesame, and vehicle engaging the same and adapted to be projected intomeans carried b the endless member.

ihe stalls, said conveyor having vehicle en- 9. In a vehic e storageapparatus of the gaging means so that the transfer device'and characterdescribed, transfer means including conveyor may be moved to effect thetransfer a dolly, an endless member carried by theof an automobile fromthe elevator to a stor- .dolly and projettintgl beyond the same, meansage stall and vice versa. for driving the en ess member and vehicle 5.An automobile storage apparatus inengaging means carried by the endlessmemoluding vertical tiers of storage compartber. ments, an elevatoroperating adjacent said 10. In a vehicle storage apparatus of. thecompartments and adapted to be leveled with character described,transfer means includany of said compartments, a dolly mounted ing amotor driven dolly, a motor driven conon said elevator and movableacross the same, veyor carried by the dolly and projecting a framecarried by the dolly and projecting beyondthe same, and vehicle engagingmeans beyond the ends of thesame, a motor driven carried by theconveyor. endless member mounted on said frame, and 11. In an automobilestorage apparatus, vehicle engaging means carried by said endtransfermeans including a motor driven less member so that the dolly and endlesstransfercarriage, and endless member mountniember when moved, mayefl'ectthe transfer red on the transfer carriage and projecting of anautomobile from the elevator to a s'torbeyond the ends of the same,means for drivage compartment and vice versa. ing the endlessmember ineither direction, and

6. An automobile storage apparatus invehicle engaging means carried bythe endless eluding vertical tiers of storage compartmember. ments, anelevator operating adjacent said 12. A garage construction includingoutcompartments and adapted to be leveled with ,s'ide walls and fireroofing partitions in any of said compartments, a dolly mounted whichthe load sustaining structure of the on said elevator and movable acrossthe same, building is incorporated, said outside walls a frame carriedby the dolly and projecting and fire proofing partitions dividing thebeyond the ends of the same, a motor driven building up into storageunits, each storage endless member mounted on said frame, and unithaving means providing vertical tiers of spaced vehicle engaging lugscarried by the storage stalls and an elevator well between endlessmember and adapied for engagement said tiers of storage stalls, eachstorage stall with a part of the vehicle, each lug being having a pairof vehicle wheel receiving runyieldable in one direction but rigid inthe ways supported on the load sustaining strucother direction, saidlugs being reversely -ture of the building, an elevator operatingarranged so that one lug has effective engagein said well and adapted tobe leveled with ment with the vehicle when the endless memany of thestorage stalls, transfer means her and dolly are moved in one directionand mounted on the elevator and movable transthe other lug has effectiveengagement with versely thereof and operable to transfer an the vehiclewhen the endless member and automobile from the elevator toasto-ragestall and. vice versa, a pair of fire doors for each 7. Anautomobile storage apparatus instorage stall, each fire door beinghingedly eluding a vertical tier of storage stalls, an elesupported andbeing disposed flush up against vator operating adjacent said stalls,vehicle a partition wall when in inoperative posireceiving runways onthe" elevator and in the tion,means for biasing the fire doors toclosedstorage stalls, a motor driven transfer device position, means forreleasably holding the fire mounted on the elevator between its runwaysdoors in open position, and a release for said andmovable lengthwise ofthe runways, an last named means operable from a control endless membercarried by the transfer destation whereby all of said fire doors mayvice and projecting beyond the same, said endbe permitted tosimultaneously close.

13. An automobile storage apparatus including vertical tiers of storagestalls, an elevator adjacent said stalls and adapted to be leveled withany of the stalls, a dolly movable across the elevator, vehicleengageable means carried by the dolly and engageable with an automobilefor propelling the automobile on its own wheels, said vehicle engagingmeans being movable with the dolly for propelling an automobile on itsown wheels and also being movable relative to the dolly for impartingadditional propelling movement to the automobile on its own wheelswhereby the automobile may be transferred from the elevator to a storagestall and vice versa.

14. An automobile storage apparatus including a vertical tier of storagestalls, an elevator operating adjacent said stalls and adapted to beleveled with any stall, vehicle receiving runways on the elevator,vehicle receiving runways in each storage stall, a motor driven transferdevice mounted on the elevator between its runways and movablelengthwise of the runways, and vehicle engaging means carried by thetransfer device and movable with the transfer device and engageable withthe vehicle whereby the movement of the transfer device is transmittedto the vehicle to propel the same on its own wheels, said vehicleengaging means also being movable relative to the transfer device forimparting movement to the vehicle while the vehicle is supported on itsown wheels.

15. In a vehicle storage apparatus, a transfer device adapted to bepositioned beneath the vehicle and having vehicle engaging means fortransmitting the motion of the transfer device to the vehicle to propelthe vehicle on itsown wheels, said vehicle engaging means also beingmovable relative to the transfer device to propel the vehicle on its ownwheels.

In witness whereof, I hereto atfix my signature.

PAUL BEEN.

